Czech up on some history.

Friday 6th September 2024. Fight Procrastination Day.

Prague. 0km.

I promised some research yesterday, here it goes. My (very) streamlined version is as follows….my sincere apologies for my simplicity….I don’t mean to offend a whole nation by getting it wrong.

The area of the Czech Republic was previously known in history as three countries Silesia, Bohemia and Moravia. Most of this area was then overtaken by the Austrian Habsburg Empire. it is only in 1918 that Czechoslovakia was established as a nation. The founding father is considered to be Tomas Masaryk. One northern part of Czechoslovakia, called Sudetenland had a high portion of German ethnic people and in 1938 Hitler laid claim to the lands to support its people from alleged mistreatment. Much of the discussions between Hitler and Chamberlain in Munich were about this issue! However, unfortunately Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and it was the spark that started the Second World War. In 1945 The Russian Army eventually pushed the Germans out and instead of releasing the Czechs they created the Iron Curtain of new communist countries, including Czechoslovakia, that became part of the Soviet Bloc. It was only in 1991 that the Iron Curtain fell as a result of popular pressure in many countries whereby creating the free counties of Eastern Europe. The Czech Republic being one of them. I can’t explain why we sometimes call it Czechia and sometimes the Czech Republic….that remains a mystery to me.

I hope I got it about right. Whilst I am in the mood for research here is some information about famous Czechs.

My shortlist of famous Czechs include Sigmund Freud (not to be confused with Clement Freud who did the dog food adverts). Sigmund was technically born in a town that is now part of the Czech Republic but was in the Austrian Empire at that time. He is famous for creating psychoanalysis, the ‘id’, ‘ego’ and ‘superego’. As far as I’m concerned it’s all in the mind!

The composer Dvorak was Czech too and his greatest work was to provide the music for the great Hovis advert where the young lad rides his bike down the cobblestone hill. I bet you will instantly know the music I’m referring to….certainly if you are British and over 40 years old.

Also, Franz Kafka, who was born in Prague. He wrote some bizarre novels and seemed to believe the humans were the result of ‘one of God’s bad days’! His books expressed the ‘absurdity of mankind’. You may get the impression that I haven’t read his novels….and you would be completely right. Whatever I think, he has achieved fame and I never will….maybe he had a point after all!

Talking of Sigmund Freud, here is his statue in Prague….

It’s a bit of a strange one and don’t ask me why he’s hanging by one arm from the top of a building. Maybe he’s hanging on by his superego!

My aim today was to see Prague Castle on the other side of the river. It is a big complex and the public can walk around the outside of the buildings for free but to go inside I had to pay.

I saw the changing of the guard.
St Vitus Cathedral.
St Vitus is the patron saint of Dance. In the Middle Ages there was a phenomena where masses of people would drive themselves mad with dancing, it became known as having ‘St Vitus Dance’. My Dad used to accuse me of having it! The behaviour still hasn’t been medically determined. It could have been an early social media viral trend!
The Old Palace Hall. Prague has always been the capital of Bohemia and now Czech Republic. This hall has been the location of several royal celebrations over the years. Kings would be coronated in the Cathedral and the feast would take place in here.
Bohemia Crown Jewels.
Golden Lane, is a line of old fashioned houses with displays and demonstrations taking place inside.
Great views over the city.

Whilst walking down the hill from the Castle area I started talking to a very smart Police Officer who was walking in the same direction. He turned out to be the Austrian Police Liaison Officer for the Czech Republic. We had a lovely chat. I told him of my previous career. We had a good handshake as we parted. What a good job he has.

Cernin Palace, now the Foreign Office building. It was the site of the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1991.

I walked back down the hill and stumbled by accident on this….

It’s the John Lennon Peace Wall.
The Kampa Park houses a Modern Art Museum. The yellow penguins may be something to do with the museum and have a deep meaning I am not aware of. Freud may be the only person who would know? The view is amazing.
Last look into the Old Town Square.

I decided I was only going to have one drink today. I had a long yellow straw…..

I had my evening meal in one of the original Pilsner Urquell bars.
I know many readers have been concerned….but this is actually my first Schnitzel! Premier League football was on the TV and oddly they played Mary Hopkins on the speakers. I thought ‘Those were the Days’!

Bearing in mind that it’s ‘Fight Procrastination Day’ I feel that I would like to do it all again….or maybe I should have put it off till tomorrow! Prague is an amazing city, I recommend it.

Tomorrow could be my longest ride. Definitely over 100km so I will be up early again in the morning.

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